Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Guatemala

Name: Guatemala
Address: GT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,622 in United States versus $842 in Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $1,334 in Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,038 in United States versus $1,826 in Guatemala.

Living in United States is roughly 211% more expensive than in Guatemala on average.

United States (91% above) and Guatemala (39% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 $19.78

$7.94 Q 60.6

149.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$49.57 Q 378

64.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 $12.11

$7.98 Q 60.9

51.75%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$3.59 Q 27.40

51.53%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.51 Q 11.49

76.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.13 Q 8.64

84.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.25 Q 24.83

86.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$5.22 Q 39.79

55.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.04 Q 15.53

-48.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.09 Q 23.61

18.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.95 Q 14.84

128.21%

Eggs

$4.35 $4.35

$2.49 Q 18.97

74.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 $12.73

$7.33 Q 55.9

73.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$10.13 Q 77.3

23.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$12.08 Q 92.2

40.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.03 Q 30.78

31.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.26 Q 17.21

-24.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.41 Q 33.64

-0.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.70 Q 12.97

194.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.83 Q 13.94

56.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.24 Q 17.08

39.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$0.79 Q 6.05

193.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.22 Q 9.27

91.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.55 $10.55

$3.83 Q 29.18

175.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$7.98 Q 60.9

87.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.35 Q 17.94

-9.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.08 Q 23.53

19.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.65 Q 12.59

43.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 $65.1

$14.13 Q 108

360.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$5.21 Q 39.75

-34.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.74 Q 13.28

8.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.16 $30.16

$10.53 Q 80.3

186.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.18 Q 9.01

-16.95%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.9K $35.9K

$21.3K Q 162.4K

68.91%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.6K Q 187.8K

5.33%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$218 $218

$68.5 Q 522

217.80%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$61.0 $61.0

$33.49 Q 255

82.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.8 $74.8

$53.0 Q 404

41.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.42 $44.42

$43.03 Q 328

3.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.53 $22.53

$15.76 Q 120

42.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$6.29 Q 47.98

135.29%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$357 Q 2,721

313.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$7,656 Q 58.4K

238.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 $54.4

$44.40 Q 339

22.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.59 $43.59

$50.5 Q 385

-13.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 $92.9

$102 Q 780

-9.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$114 Q 868

0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 $1,639

$861 Q 6,569

90.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$545 Q 4,158

149.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 $2,699

$1,616 Q 12.3K

67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$910 Q 6,945

141.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,269 $3,269

$2,285 Q 17.4K

43.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,589 $2,589

$1,155 Q 8,807

124.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,357 $4,357

$626 Q 4,773

596.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

11.62

-46.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for United States: August 30, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,606 in United States, $177 in Guatemala. Capital cities: $1,373 in Columbia, TN vs $828 in Guatemala City.

National salary averages: $4,519 in United States, $691 in Guatemala. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 807% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 63% more in United States.

Public transport is 2600% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 554% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

United States vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $677 per month in Guatemala and $3,080 in United States, there's a 355% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Guatemala: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States is consistently higher than in Guatemala across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Guatemala, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Guatemala wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.